Politics and Social Change Commons^™

The Fragility Of Consensus: Public Reason, Diversity And Stability, John Thrasher, Kevin Vallier

Philosophy Faculty Articles and Research

John Rawls's transition from A Theory of Justice to Political Liberalism was driven by his rejection of Theory's account of stability. The key to his later account of stability is the idea of public reason. We see Rawls's account of stability as an attempt to solve a mutual assurance problem. We maintain that Rawls's solution fails because his primary assurance mechanism, in the form of public reason, is fragile. His conception of public reason relies on a condition of consensus that we argue is unrealistic in modern, pluralistic democracies. After rejecting Rawls's conception of public reason, we offer an ‘indirect …

You Can't Always Get What You Want, Laura J. Koenig

SURGE

My parents used to tell me that I wasn’t entitled to anything—that I should be happy with what I have and not assume that I deserved something unless I had worked for it. Either way, entitlement is something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. So what do I think I’m entitled to? I’m not really sure. Maybe I’m entitled to making my own choices about what I’m going to do after graduation or having friends that treat me well. Maybe not. [excerpt]

The Crisis Of Secularism: How Democracy Fuels Moral Panics And Religious Fundamentalism, Pedja Ilic

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

While identifying humanity’s most cherished ideals, there is one notion that ultimately supplants all others: the notion of freedom. The concept itself and its encompassing rhetoric have been utilized ad nauseam by virtually all contemporary social orders to validate the levels of civilizational maturity and, perhaps more importantly, to set goals to which the same should strive. However, irrespective of its categorical position at the very summit of conscious human existence, its interpretational elasticity allows for a diminishing number of concessions. This paper offers critique and examines interactions between multiculturalism, cultural relativism, religion, and secularism within contemporary Western societies. It …

Cycle, Nichole Annette Howard

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cycle is the exhibition of a year-long project that experiments with growing food and medicinal herbs. Alongside an exploration of plant growth, I transfer iconic cultural objects of daily life from plastic to ceramics. Using material culture as a physical and conceptual platform, this re-contextualization of objects offers a radically different view of use and meaning. I transform the soda-filled, plastic Big Gulp cup into a terra planter filled with new life.

My working method involves making molds of Big Gulp plastic cups and transferring the form into a traditional plant growing material, terra cotta. I then germinate seeds inside …

Massacre In Central Burma: Muslim Students Terrorized And Killed In Meiktila, Richard Sollom, Holly G. Atkinson

Publications and Research

This report details the results of a Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) investigation into the March 20 and 21, 2013, attacks on Muslim students, teachers, and residents in the Mingalar Zayyone quarter of Meiktila, a small town in central Burma.

A two-person team, the authors of the report, from PHR conducted 33 interviews about the attacks, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 children and four teachers. The report details the attacks by the Buddhist mobs, provides evidence that local police officers were complicit in the crimes, and lists policy recommendations for the Burmese government and the international …

An Analysis On The Effects Of Voter Id Laws And Minnesota’S Decision To Vote Against It, Amy Asell

Political Science Theses and Capstones

In recent years, the topic of voter identification has been a hotly contested issue in state legislatures around the country. Since 2003, nearly 1,000 bills concerning voter ID have been introduced in a total of forty-six states. In 2012 alone, voter ID legislation was pending in thirty-three states. On November 6, 2012, the citizens of the state of Minnesota voted on whether they supported an amendment to the state Constitution that would require all voters to present a valid photo ID in order to vote. Despite poll numbers indicating that a majority of Minnesotans supported the amendment the voter ID …

Feet In The South, Eyes To The West: Fort Smith Enters The Sunbelt, Adam Morrison Carson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the political realignment of Fort Smith, Arkansas and argues that the standard historiographical argument about the process of realignment does not explain what occurred in this city. Much of the historiography of political realignment currently revolves around the belief in a white backlash against the federal government and the national Democratic Party for their support of African American civil rights. Though historians have moved toward a "suburban synthesis" that downplays the backlash thesis, historians still argues that many white southerners moved to the suburbs to avoid integration.

I argue that this process did not occur in the …

Immigration, Integration, And Public Opinion In The European Union, Andreas Jozwiak

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.

Peer Pressure: Social Psychology And The Political And Security Committee, Bryce Comstock

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.

Same-Sex Marriage On The Iberian Peninsula: The Church And Franco’S Competing Legacies, Noah Jennings

Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union

No abstract provided.

America’S New Demography: Rising Minorities, Aging Boomers, And Emerging Cultural Gaps, William H. Frey

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

There are major demographic changes occurring in the United States right now. As the number of whites is declining among children and in many communities, we are seeing growth in other racial groups, particularly the Hispanic population. In fact, estimates are that by 2043 the United States will be “majority-minority." The Brookings Institution’s William Frey will discuss how these population shifts will impact different different parts of the country, their politics, and related policies. He will explore how the changes will continue to affect Americans for decades to come.

How To Know If You're An Extremist, Katherine M. White

SURGE

I’m a serious West Wing fan. I love it because it not only gives me a little insight into what is obviously a totally accurate depiction of what life is like working in the White House (right?) but it also makes me think. Take this scene from season 3 as an example:

Josh Lyman, the Deputy White House Chief, is stuck in the White House cafeteria with a group of high school students while the White House is under emergency lockdown. Since the students have been promised the opportunity to speak to influential people in D.C. during their visit, Lyman …

Explaining Political Activeness And Attitudes Toward Unionization Among Nurses In The United States., Crystal L. Lesmeister

Political Science Theses and Capstones

There is no question; nurses play a key role in healthcare. Nurses provide direct care, coordinate health promotion activities, educate, and provide support and advocacy to patients. Today, there are over two million registered nurses in the United States. My research aims to determine the variables that influence some nurses to be more politically active and more engaged in unionization than their counterparts. I analyze The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses 2004 looking at a variety of potential explanations for union participation. Findings show a strong regional variation in the percentage of unionization, however, some of the conventional explanations …

Gendered Jobs And The New Gender Gap, George K. Thiruvathukal, Jon Ross

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This presentation discusses how to address 21st Century employment challenges by dismantling gender-specific barriers to entry. We take an interdisciplinary approach by focusing on areas such as education, public policy, culture, and media (among others).

Fearless: Allan Kawala, Allan I. Kawala

SURGE

Allan Kawala ‘13 does not stand on the sidelines. He is an agent of change and is a leader at Gettysburg College and in his home country of Malawi. He has dedicated his life to making social change a reality. [excerpt]

The Characteristics Of Women Seeking Funding From The Dc Abortion Fund, Karin Elizabeth Bleeg

GW Research Days 2013

Objectives: To determine whether the population DCAF serves, based on current research, are those most in need of its financial services. Describe the population that DCAF is supports by age, race and ethnicity, poverty, educational attainment, union status, contraceptive method used, referral source, and number of prior pregnancies.

Methods: An adapted version of The Guttmacher Institute's National Patient Survey will be used to collect data from women who contact DCAF for financial assistance for their abortion (n=150). The data will be collected for one month and then analyzed in SPSS.

Results: Between January and March 2013 approximately 400 women contacted …

Relaciones De Coalición Y Gestión: ¿Que Pasó A La Concertación?, Samuel Wonderling

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Chile ha experimentado una vuelta exitosa a la democracia desde la dictadura de Pinochet terminada en 1989, en gran parte debido a la estabilidad de su coalición en el poder, La Concertación. La Concertación ganó las cuatro primeras elecciones presidenciales en Chile, incluso el primer presidenta femenina en Chile, el miembro del Partido Socialista Michelle Bachelet. Bachelet tenía un mayoría del Congreso sin precedentes y muchos creyeron que representara una nueva era de esperanza y reforma social en Chile. Sin embargo, ciertos miembros políticos de la Concertación se dividieron en los años primeros de su presidencia y la coalición perdió …

Are Women Ready To Lead?, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

In a world where Sheryl Sandberg and Hilary Clinton regularly steal headlines, it’s easy to think that the world has become a more egalitarian place for women. Not so, says Marina Mahathir, who goes on to speak about lack of opportunities for women in politics.

Letter From The Executive Director: An Accidental Protester, James Wilson

Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS)

This past January, I spent a cold, wet, and fabulous week in Paris. One evening while strolling along the Left Bank, sauntering in the shadows of the imposing grandeur of L’Hôtel national des Invalides, I found myself caught up in a massive wave of protesters, who were dispersing from a demonstration in front of the Eiffel Tower. The crowd moved like a protean organism through the narrow Parisian streets, growing in immensity as other protest groups siphoned into the throng from criss-crossing thoroughfares.

“La Voz De Los Sin Voz:” Teatro Político En Los Movimientos Sociales Chilenos 1973-2013, Dan Katz-Zeiger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación analiza el uso del teatro político en los dos movimientos sociales más grandes en la última siglo, el movimiento contra la dictadura desde 1973 hasta 1990 y los movimientos estudiantiles, empezando en su forma masiva en 2006 y continuando hasta hoy. Con las medias de comunicación en los manos del gobierno, a lo largo de la historia Chilena, el teatro político se usó como una herramienta para propagar una conciencia política en la gente y se hizo un vinculo entre los problemas actuales y la política del gobierno. Muchas instituciones teatrales (facultades, compañías) han existido desde el periodo …

¿Mi Casa Es Su Casa?: Inmigración, Discriminación E Interculturalidad En Liceo Miguel De Cervantes Y Saavedra, Kathia Dumelle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio se trata de las dinámicas de inmigración, discriminación e interculturalidad en el Liceo Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, establecimiento municipal, ubicado en la Región Metropolitana de Chile en la comuna de Santiago. Se propone conocer si lo que está pasando en la sociedad chilena, específicamente la discriminación contra los inmigrantes vecinos, se reproduce en la escuela, o si la escuela está cambiando las relaciones interpersonales entre los chilenos y los inmigrantes. Se investiga mediante una etnografía del liceo, realizando observaciones de la escuela, y entrevistas formales e informales con estudiantes inmigrantes, estudiantes chilenos, profesores y profesoras. Se observa …

Effective And Sustainable Programs Of Change: A Case Study Of Gulu Women’S Economic Development And Globalization (Gwed-G), Kristen Hochreiter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research explores the concepts of effectiveness and sustainability in the non-governmental organization (NGO) development sector by looking at two of the youth empowerment programs in the case study organization, Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G). GWED-G is a women’s’ rights organization that works in the Amuru, Nwoya, and Gulu districts of northern Uganda and implements various different programs all with vulnerable individuals. The reason that this organization has chosen to work with empowering youth is due to the dismal conditions that these youths faced during their upbringings, which occurred during the 20-year-long conflict that affected much of the …

Overcoming Environmental Injustices: An Analysis Of Citizen Assemblies’ Fight Against Open-Pit Mining In Bariloche And Esquel, Sara Kleinkopf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Worldwide, environmentalism and environmental concern is growing. Additionally, environmental issues like pollution and contamination are no longer considered simply environmental problems; environmental issues are now frequently analyzed from a sociological perspective. Beginning in the 1980s in the United States, the investigation of the relationship between environmental and social issues developed into the theory of environmental justice. This theory postulates that the unequal distribution of environmental harm occurs in correlation with (or is a direct result of) a lack of political recognition and participation.

In this investigation, I utilize the theory of environmental justice to analyze the development of open-pit mining …

The Creation Of The Hombre Nuevo: How Do Men In Nicaragua Confront Their Privilege And The Inequality Of Gender?, Paul Rebman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Historically speaking, it is difficult to deny that women have had less opportunities and have often been disadvantaged in comparison to men. This trend has been found in many societies, at many times, and in many different areas. For example, women have often been denied the right to vote, own property, and have had less access to jobs. These opportunities and rights were denied to women through the act of men who sought to keep the power they had accumulated in their own hands. As a response to these differences in treatment, women have become active and started many social …

From Exquisite To Extinct: Linguistic Human Rights In The Tibetan Diaspora || Tibetan Pragmatics, Standardization Ethics And Obligatory Bilingualism, Camille Zora Inge

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This work documents a sample of the rich qualities of Tibetan language and discusses how Buddhism is embedded and woven throughout its character. From translation compounds revealing the deeper meaning of Lord Buddha to morpho-­‐ syntactic implications of the emptiness of the self, Tibetan offers a window into an insider’s understanding of Buddhist philosophy. With such a vibrant linguistic story, Tibetan language ought to be respected and upheld, taught and treasured. But, the Chinese occupation in Tibet has resulted in a physical and cultural degradation of Tibetan culture. One of the least tangible yet most affective oppressions has been upon …

Neither Slavery Nor Involuntary Servitude, Monti Narayan Datta

Political Science Faculty Publications

The sex trade grabs headlines, but modern-day slavery takes many forms across the globe, spreading like a cancer in the 21st century. Scholars estimate that there are as many as 27 million slaves today; the majority are not in forced prostitution, but instead in other heinous forms of exploitation (though rape and/or other forms of torture are often tools of coercion).

Slavery permeates northern India, where children, to help pay off their family's exorbitantly high debts to corrupt local businessmen, hunch over in the dark for hours at a stretch as they weave carpets on looms until their small, delicate …

Protest, Alexandria Abel

PTRS Undergraduate Publications

Protest is a method used to oppose power or enact change. It is a multifaceted idea in that the type of protest used depends directly on the attainability of the goal. I will discuss the properties of protest and then show how individuals in Enrique’s Journey and Dorothy Day's Loaves and Fishes approach the act of protesting differently based on the actuality of the goals to be accomplished.

Social Media And The Transformation Of The Humanitarian Narrative: A Comparative Analysis Of Humanitarian Discourse In Libya 2011 And Bosnia 1994, Ellen Noble

Political Science Honors Projects

Within humanitarian discourse, there is a prevailing narrative: the powerful liberal heroes are saving the helpless, weak victims. However, the beginning of the 21^st century marks the expansion of the digital revolution throughout lesser-developed states. Growing access to the Internet has enabled aid recipients to communicate with the outside world, giving them an unprecedented opportunity to reshape discourses surrounding humanitarianism. Through a comparative discourse analysis of Libyan Tweets, 1994 newspaper reports on Bosnia, and 2011 newspaper reports on Libya, this paper analyzes whether aid recipient discourse can resist the dominant humanitarian narrative and if that resistance can influence dominant …

Everyone Counts : Une Enquête Sur Le Recensement Général De La Population De Madagascar, Charlotte Mcdonald

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Qu’est-ce que c’est le recensement ?

D’habitude, lorsqu’on parle de « recensement », on veut dire un recensement général de la population et de l’habitat dans un pays. Le recensement est une opération statistique qu’un pays devrait mener d’une manière régulière pour suivre la croissance de sa population, les changements démographiques et les besoins de son peuple. Ce travail comprend des centaines d’indicateurs (comme l’âge, la religion, l’accès à l’eau potable, et les problèmes de santé) à partir desquels on collecte les données pour chaque ménage dans le pays.

Dans un pays riche comme les Etats-Unis, le recensement permet au …

A Web Of Violence: Local Perceptions On The Power Relations Of The Tanzanite Trade Network In Arusha, Ellie Ng

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The global mining industry is a site of contention and conflicts. While the term conflict stone generally refers to minerals that fund war activities, this paper understands conflicts in the broader sense: various forms of violence that perpetuate inequalities, impoverishment and suffering. This study looks at how the tanzanite trade network is organized and what can be done to change the uneven power dynamics maintained by the current political-economic system. I conducted 42 semi-structured interviews with local brokers, dealers and retailers in Arusha during the month of April, 2013. Using the global commodity chain sustainability analysis, I analyzed the perceived …